In Sikkim, altogether 13 female candidates are in the fray in the simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assembly. The organic State of the country is going to the polls in the first phase on the 19th of this month for the lone Lok Sabha seat and 32 seats of the State Assembly. In the current State Legislature, there are three women legislators – Farwanti Tamang from Melli Assembly Constituency, Rajkumari Thapa from Rangang Yanggang and Sunita Gajmer from Zoomsalghari.

In this election, one female independent candidate is trying for her electoral luck for the Lok Sabha and 12 female candidates for the State Assembly.

The number of female voters in Sikkim is almost half of the total electorates of the State. The total number of female electorates in the State is around 2,31,450 out of the State’s total electorate of 4,63,800. However, no political party in Sikkim is fielding a female candidate for the lone Lok Sabha seat of the Sikkim Parliamentary Constituency. An independent female candidate Ms. Bina Rai is contesting for the Lok Sabha seat against 13 male contenders.  Out of the total 140 candidates for the election of 32 seats of the State Assembly, the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha(SKM) and Congress, have fielded four each female candidates. The newly floated Citizen Action Party and BJP, have fielded two each female candidates. Ibomcha Sharma, Akashvani News, Gangtok.